Investigation on In-Flow Fluidelastic Instability of an Array of Tubes

Abstract

Fluidelastic instability (FEI) remains the most important vibration mechanism in steam generators. Fluidelastic instability of an array of tubes thought to be mainly occurred in the cross-flow direction. In the present day, some researchers reported possibility of occurrence of fluidelastic instability in the in-flow direction. However, the phenomenon of the in-plane FEI has not been well recognized compared to the transverse FEI. In this study, air flow tests using cantilevered straight cylinder array of tubes in triangular configuration were conducted. It is confirmed that the in-flow FEI could be occurred and the critical flow velocity in the in-flow direction is larger than that of in the cross flow direction. Furthermore, the relationship between P/D of an array of tubes and the critical flow velocity in the in-flow direction was also investigated.